Flexible pocket receptacle



June 24, 1941. w. R. BuxToN FLEXIBLE l POCKET RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 23,1939 WNJ lNvENToR WIR/YER wro/v BY T ATToRYs Patented June 24, 19412,246,571 FLEXIBLE POCKET RECEPTACLE Warner R. Buxton, Longmeadow,Mass.; Mabel Allen Buxton executrix of said Warner R.

Buxton, deceased Application September 23, 1939, Serial No. 296,206

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved pocket closure, of a type which isparticularly suitable for use in flexible pocket receptacles of thatclass which are foldable to enable one part of the receptacle to besuperposed upon another. Common examples of receptacles of the classmen,- tioned are billfolds, wallets, pocketbooks and the like.

It has been common practice in billfolds, heretofore, to utilize aspockets those spaces that lie one between each of the two spaced endsections of the inner Wall and the adjacent portion of the relativelyslidable inner-wall section, which partially overlaps each end sectionand bridges the gap between them. The mouth of each such pocket has beenleft completely open, according to prior practice, and it is easy forarticles to slip out of such pockets especially when the billfold isopen.- The difficulty in providing closures for these pockets is thatany ordinary form of pocket closure, applied in the ordinary way, wouldinterfere with free relative longitudinal sliding movement between thepocket walls and such movement is necessary in a billfold or otherfoldable flexible pocket receptacle to avoid buckling of the inner wallwhen the receptacle is folded into closed position.

This invention has for an object the provision of a closure for a pocketin a billfold, or other foldable flexible pocket receptacle, which willenable :the necessary shifting movement between the Walls of each pocketto take place and which will at the saine time provide a satisfactoryclosure means for the pocket or pockets.

More particularly, the pocket closing means consists of a ap hinged tothe inner pocket wall along the transverse line of fold thereof andoverlapping the outer pocket wall and having a tongue and slotengagement therewithmsuch as to permit relative sliding movement betweenthe pocket walls in a longitudinal direction.

Other objects will appear as the detailed de scription proceeds and willbe pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. l is a small-scale `front elevational view showing the inventionembodied in a billfold;

Fig. 2 is a full-size top plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.l; and

Fig. 4 is a view, taken similarly to Fig. l but showing one of thepocket closures in open position.

Referring to the drawing; a pocket closure ernbodying the invention hasbeen shown, by way of illustrative example, in connection with twoconfronting pockets of a billfold. The invention is capable of use inother kinds of foldable flexible pocket receptacles and is not limitedto the one kind herein disclosed.

The billfold, Vherein shown, includes an outer or back wall it ofrectangular form, and a com.- posite inner or front wall made up of twoend sections II and a central or intermediate section iii. Each endsection is suitably fixed along its lower lside edge and along its outerend edges to the lower side edge and adjacent outer end edge,respectively, of the outer wall lll. The outer wall Ill has a centralline of fold I3 and the central inner wall section I2 has acorresponding line of fold I4. Each end section II also has fixed,preferably integrally, to its upper edge a downturned flap I5 which liesbetween the end section and the outer wall IB. Each flap i5 is securedalong its outer end edge by the same stitches I5 which are used tosecure its end section il to the outer end edge 0f outer wall I0. Theseend sections il are longitudinally spaced and they are located one oneach side of the registering lines of fold I3 and Id, and longitudinallyspaced therefrom.

The central section l2 has its ends mounted to slide longitudinallyrelatively to the end sections I I which it partially overlaps, and itbridges across the gap between these two end sections of the inner wallas shown. The section I2 has its upper and lower edges slidably engagedin upper and lower runways. Each upper runway consists of the grooveformed between a ap I5 and its end section Il at or adjacent the line offold which constitutes the junction between these parts. Each lowerrunway consists of a similar groove formed between each section II andthe outer wall It at or adjacent theline of fold, which constitutes thejunction between these two integrally connected parts.

When the billfold is closed by folding one half upon the other along theregistering lines of fold i3 and lll, the end sections II, being fixedto the outer wall, move in on the central section i2-the latter beingheld stationary since its central fold is held in the V of the centralfold of the outer wall. When the billfold is again opened, the endsections II slide out on the central section l2. The section I I, at itsupper corner, has a projection I'I which rides in a slot I8 formed inthe adjacent iiap I5. When the billfold is open, these projectionsengage the inner ends of slots I 8 as shown and, if the section I2 isnot centralized relatively to the outer wall, one of these projectionswill engage the inner end of its slot before the other and pull thesection l2 into centralized relation (so that its line of fold l@coincides with the line of fold l).

The construction, thus far described, is that of one well-known type ofbillfold. The present invention is concerned with closures for the twoconfronting pockets I9 which are formed one between each end section Iland the adjacent part of the central section i2. Each such pocket isclosed at its outer end by the connected end edges of walls iB and iland, according to prior practice, is open at its inner end-the mouth 2Bof one pocket facing the mouth 25 of the other pocket. Both of thesemouths have heretofore been left open. With the illustratedconstruction, the inner wall (section l2) of each pocket is slidablerelatively to the outer wall (section l l The closure for each pocket i9consists of a flap 2l, hinged to the back wall of the pocketthe sectionl2along the line of fold i4. This closure flap 2| engages and partiallyoverlaps the outer face of the outer Wall of pocket I9 and has a tongue22 which is inserted in a slot 23 in said outer wall. Mounted in thisslot 23 is a deiiector 24 and the tongue 22 slides in back of thisdeflector and into and through the slot 23. This deflector 2 is or maybe constructed as disclosed in my copending application Serial No.280,472, led June 22, 1939. The tongue 32 is free to slidelongitudinally in the aforesaid slot and is not held in place in anyother way than by frictional engagement with the parts on which itslides.

It will be clear that the inner wall of each pocket-the central sectionlZ-is free to slide in a longitudinal direction relatively to the outerwall of such pocket. This follows because the tongue and slot connectionbetween each closure flap and the outer pocket wall, allows the closureflap 2l to move back and forth with the section l2. Also, this sametongue and slot connection allows the pocket to expand freely whenstuffed with cards or other articles. Ordinary forms of fastening means,if applied to the closure iiap in the usual way, would prevent therelative sliding movement between the pocket walls which is essential ina foldable pocket receptacle to avoid buckling of the inner wall whenthe receptacle is folded into closed position. It is desirable alsowhere, as here, there are two pockets with their mouths arranged inconfronting relation, one on each Side of the line of fold, to utilize asingle member to form the closure iiaps for both pockets and in suchcase it is essential that this single member be xed to the rearwall-forming member I2 solely along the line of fold l. IIhisarrangement also affords the maximum amount of space for each pocket,enabling all the space from one end of the billfold to the central foldline thereof to be utilized.

The invention thus provides a pocket closure of novel form, capable ofuse in a billfold or any other flexible pocket receptacle that isfoldable, for closing pockets which hitherto have not been closed forlack of a satisfactory closure, such closure being characterized in thatit does not interfere with the necessary free sliding movement betweenthe outer wall and the central section of the inner wall.

What I claim is:

1. In a foldable flexible pocket receptacle, having a pair ofconfronting pockets each having its own front wall, a member servingeach pocket as a back wall and mounted for relative sliding movementwith respect to each front wall in a direction longitudinally of saidpockets, said member having a transverse line of fold located betweensaid pockets, a second member secured to said rst member solely alongsaid line of fold and forming two hinged flaps extending in oppositedirections from the line of fold into overlapping relation one with eachof said front walls, each said flap and the front wall which it overlapshaving slidably interengaged parts for holding the flap in pocketclosing relation, said interengaged parts being relatively slidable inthe same direction as said first named member.

2. In a foldable flexible pocket receptacle, an cuter wall havingintermediate its ends a transverse line of fold, a composite inner wallhaving longitudinally spaced sections and located one on each side ofsaid line of fold and fixed to said cuter wall, and a third sectionbridging the space between the first two sections and overlapping therear face of each thereof and longitudinally slidable relativelythereto, said third section having a transverse line of fold locatedbetween the rst two sections and registering with the firstnamed line offold, and a member secured to said third section solely along the lineof fold thereof and extending in opposite directions from said line offold into partially overlapping relation one with the front face of eachof the first two sections, and means for retaining each end of saidmember in overlapping relation with that one of the rst two sectionswhich it overlaps and enabling relative sliding movement in the samedirection as that in which the third section slides.

3. In a foldable flexible pocket receptacle, an outer wall havingintermediate its ends a transverse line of fold, a pair oflongitudinally-spaced wall sections fixed to the outer wall and locatedone on each side of said line of fold, a third section bridging the gapbetween the first-named sections and slidable relatively to at least onethereof when the receptacle is folded or unfolded to close or open thesame, said third section having a line of fold registering with thefirst-named line of fold, the third section and one of the first-namedsections forming between them a pocket the mouth of which opens towardssaid lines of fold, a closure flap for the mouth of said pocket, said apbeing hingedly secured to said third member solely along the line offold thereof and extending to and beyond said mouth into overlappingrelation with one of the first-named wall sections, said flap and saidone of the rstnamed wall sections having slidably interengaged parts forholding the flap in closure-forming relation, said parts beingrelatively slidable in the same direction as said third section.

WARNER R. BUXTON.

